Switch box



w. M. GORE.

SWlTCH BOX.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 12., L920.

1,420,694; Patented June 192 2.

F F E c WILLIAM M. GORE, OF TOLEDO, OHIO, ASSIG-NOR OF ONE-FOURTH TO JOHN H. FRENCH, ONE-FOURTH TO WALTER F. TANT, ONE-FOURTH TO MILTON T. WATSON, AND ONE-FOURTH TO JOSEPH G. HAMBLEN', JR., ALL OF DETROIT,

MICHIGAN.

SWITCH BOX.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 27, 1922.

Application filed January 12, 1920. Serial No. 350,754.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that 1, WILLIAM M. Gonn,

of Toledo, in the county of Lucas and State of Ohio, have invented a certain new and useful Switch Box; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the-invention, such as will snap engagement with the box ends.

enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanylng drawings, and to the characters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to switch or terminal boxes for use in interior electric wiring for the accommodation of electric light switches, and particularly to multiple unit boxes of that type to permit the varying of the size thereof to suit the number of switches to be accommodated.

The object of the invention is the provision of a switch or terminal box of the class described, which is simple and inexpensive in its construction and capable of being easily and quickly ganged or built up by the workman into boxes of any desired size and without the use of screws or other removable retaining devices.

The invention is fully described in the following specification, and while, in its broader aspect, it is capable of embodiment in numerous forms, a preferred embodiment thereof is illustrated in the accompanying drawing in which,

Fig. '1 is a perspective view of a multiple unit switch box with one end separated therefrom, and Fig. 2 is a fragmentary perspective view of interlocking portions of adjoining box units.

A box embodying my inventlon comprises one or more body members 1 of duplicate construction and opposed end members 2, 2 of duplicate construction and in releasable Each body member 1 is of U-form, being preferably stamped from sheet metal, and forms the bottom 3 and the opposing side walls 4 and 5. The side 4 is provided at one end or side edge at or adjacent to its lower and upper corners with inward depressions 6 and 7, respectively, whlch extend short distances in from the edge toward the center of the side and are depressed toward the opposite side an extent substantially equal to the thickness of the metal.- a citizen of the United States, and a resident Th ese depressions preferably have flat bot toms, as shown. This edge of the side is' 'of the side and formed with a depression 9 providing a detent at the inner side of the ton ue T iie opposite side edge of the side 4 is provided at or adjacent to its lower and upper corners with spurs 11 and 12, respectively, extending in the plane of the side, or substantially so, and in proper position and of suitable shape to enter the respective depressions 6 and '7 of an adjoining body section, as shown. The outer ends'of the spurs 11 and 12 are preferably turned slightly outward to facilitate an assembling of the sections. This edge of the side 4 is also provided substantially midway between its s urswith a depression 13, the bottom of w ich is inwardly offset from the plane of the side 4 substantially the thickness of the metal and is suitably positioned and of suitable shape to form a recess for receiving the tongue 8 of the meeting side of an adjoining body section. The bottom of the depression 13 is extended beyond the ting relation the spurs 11 and '12 will lap the outer side and the extension 13 will lap the inner side of one side wall of the box and the tongue 8 will lap the outer sideof the wall with its detent sprung or snapped into the respective socket 14, thereby yieldingly retaining the two sides together in interlocked engagement and preventing relative lateral movements of either.

The side 5 of each body section is a duplicate of the side 4 thereof, except that the position of its tongues, spurs, and recesses is reversed to those of the side 4, that is, the depressions 6 and 7 and tongue 8 are located at one pair of diagonally opposite corners, and the spurs 11 and 12 and depressions 13 are located at the other pair of diagonally opposite corners of the body section.

Each end member 2 of the box 1s of plate form and provided at one side edge thereof, the left in the present instance, at or adjacent to its lower and upper corners with spurs 16 and 17, respectively, bent or extending inwardly at right angles to the end member and adapted to seat in the depressions 6 and 7 of the side edge, if at one end of the box, and of the side 5, if at the other end of the box. The same edge of the end member is also provided with a notch or incut 18 for receiving the respective tongue 8 at right angles to the end member, and the edge portion of the bottom wall of the notch is inwardly depressed at' 19 to perthe top edges mit the detent of the registering tongue 8 to engage within the recess in yielding en gagement with its bottom. The detents are preferably disposed in vertical alignment with the respective side edge of the body section So that it is necessary, in the present instance, to form the depression 19 for receiving the same.

The other side edge of the end plate 2 is provided with a notch or incut 20 in position to receive the extension 13 of an adjoining side edge of a body section 1. and the edge portion of the bottom wall of this notch is inwardly depressed at 21 to coact with the detent 15 of said extension to yieldingly retain the parts in assembled relation, as is apparent.

he corner of the end plate above the notch 20 is vertically notched at 22 to receive the adjacent spurs 12 of the body section. and the corner below the notch 20 is provided with an opening 23 to receive the adjacent-spur 11 of the body section. It is evident that an end plate 2 is yieldingly held to a .body section by the interengaging of the respective side edge portions, and that the body section side walls are both braced against inward and outward movements b the manner of interlocking thereof with the end plate.

It is evident that the box may be made'of any desired size by pressing or snapping "the meeting edges of a desired number of body sections 1 together, box may be closed by snapping the end plates 2 in engagement therewith thereby obviating-the necessity of using screws or other securing means for retaining the parts in assembled relation.

Each box section 1 may-be provided at of its side walls with perforated lugs 24 for receiving the securing screws of an inclosed switch. and the body sections may also be provided at their outer sldes with supporting brackets 25. as is cus tomary in boxes of this character.

I wish itunderstood that my invention is not limited to any specific construction, ar-

and that the ends of the rangement or form of the parts, as it is capable of numerous modifications and changes without departing from the spirit of the claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is,

1. In a box of the class described, a plurality of body sections of U-form each having its side walls provided at one palr of diagonally opposite end edges with depressions adjacent the upper and lower corners thereof and with a tongue having a detent, and the other pair of diagonally opposite end edges having spurs projecting therefrom for lapping the end edge of an adjoining section Within the corner depressions thereof, and having a portion adapted to be lapped by a tongue of an adjoining section and prov'ided with a recess for recelving the detent of the tongue.

2. A box of the class described having a plurality of body sections of U-form each having a pair of diagonally opposite end edges of its side walls provided with a tongue and with inward depressions adjacent the upper and lower corners thereof I and the other pair of diagonally opposite end edges of each section having spurs projecting therefrom in the planes of the respective sides for entering the depressions of the meeting edge of an adjoining section and having an inward depression'adapted to receive the tpngue of the meeting edge of an adjoining section, said tongue and the bottom of a depression lapped thereby having yieldingly releasable detent and socket engagement.

3. In a box of the class described, a body section of U-form having the corresponding end edges of its side walls formed with extensions and one side wall having spurs projecting from its upper and lower portions, and an end wall for the body section adapted y to fit between said'extensions and having openings at one end for receiving said spurs and provided with right angled projections at its other end for lapping the outer side of the adjoining side wall, said extensions and the end wall having coacting portions which yieldingly engage to retain the body section and end wall in assembled relation.

4. In a box of the class described, a body section of U-form having the corresponding end edges of its side walls formed with extensions having detents projecting therefrom and one side Wall having spurs projecting from its edge in vertically spaced relation, an end plate having its ends notched to receive said extensions with the bottom walls of the notches inwardly dcpressed to engage the rear sides of the extension detents to yieldingly retain the body section, and end plate in assembled relation, one'end of the end plate having openings for receiving said spurs and the other end having vertically spaced inwardly projecting spurs for lapping the outer side of the meeting edge of the adjoining side wall.

5. In a boxv of the class described, abody section of U-form having a. pair of diagonally opposite end edges of its side Walls provided with tongues-and a pair of diagonally opposite end edges provided with a tongue and with spurs, and an end plate for each end of the body section having yielding releasable interengagement with the tongues at the respective end of the body section and each plate'interengaging at one end with a set of spurs on the respective end of the body section and having inwardly projecting spurs at its other end in lapplng engagement with the meeting edge of a side wall of the body section.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto signed my name to this specification.

- WILLIAM M. GORE. 

